The Bastard And The War
by Coachjoules
Summary: The last days before the IS academy is decimated and a new age of combat and destruction is ushered in.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note: Hey everyone, this is my first IS fic and only my second fic ever. I hope to improve with every entry that I make. That being said, please let me know what I am doing well and where I need to improve. I appreciate anything advice you can give. Thanks again and I hope you enjoy what I have to share.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos or any icons or characters herein.

The Vineyard

Looking up at the brilliant glass skyscraper evoked thoughts of stability and peace within her. The midday sun and light easterly breeze made the beautiful plaza that much more tranquil. The simple water fountain and wide arrangement of flowers and shrubs took many viewers to a place outside the sprawling metropolis of Toulouse that surrounded them. The gentle sound of the water crashing against the stone fixture and the many ripples in the pool below were mesmerizing. And as she reached down to dip her hands into the gentle waters its warmth washed around them sending a thrill up her arms.

The large headquarters of Dunois Industries was a very appealing and welcoming place. The landscaping and architecture illustrated a truly convincing assurance of clean and ethical progress. This platform for the future of the IS development for France was like a second chance for the future. It displayed the fine points of human ingenuity. It was here that the future was being built, but for her, the truth behind her name was something more ugly and sinister. This corporation that guaranteed a better and brighter tomorrow was no different than any other form of greed that had also masked itself behind shallow promises and sweet words.

She was a living testament to their dispassionate coldness. She was just a tool to her father, a means to an end, nothing more than a bastard child.

In a swift and euphoric release she tore the pendant from her necklace and dropped it into the shallow pool before her.

"I will be their experiment no longer." The blonde girl breathed lowly.

Charlotte's quick steps matched the pace of her heart as she marched to the main entrance. The main foyer was just as bright and welcoming as its exterior. Daylight from the glass-topped roof, nearly forty stories above her shined down, illuminating the lobby in a warm way. Modern architecture adorned the interior and spiraled its way to the very top. The many curves and textures of metal and ceramic climbed along each surface as they reached towards the sky.

"Charlotte right, what brings you here?" A voice called over.

She was always good with names but this one escaped her. A faint blush glowed upon her cheeks as the receptionist smiled at the young I.S. pilot.

"Pardonnez-moi, I cannot recall your name." Charlotte replied carefully, hoping not to offend, a hint of embarrassment in her voice.

The receptionist chuckled lightly before revealing her secret. "Claire, my name is Claire. I don't see you here often," Claire tilted her head slightly digging deep into her memories. "Actually, I think I've only seen you here once before, so what brings you here today?" She smiled genuinely, already discarding her usual canter and mask reserved for actual guests who were less interesting and even less polite.

Charlotte was beginning to have second thoughts about her actions. Her hesitation grew relevant to Claire who kindly shot off another question, breaking the awkward silence. "Well, I can show you around if you like."

Charlotte's heart plummeted; there was no way she could not get this kind woman involved in her mess. "No! Uh, I know my way around, merci."

"Okay," Claire retreated, clearly shocked from the young girl's sudden, sharp and firm reply. "Please take this badge Charlotte, security has been a little tighter recently."

Charlotte accepted the VIP badge with a warm smile hoping to disarm the receptionist's increased concern. A quick snap to clip on the plastic card and she was heading towards the elevator. The young girl knew she possessed unrestricted access to all of Dunois' facilities, but that didn't mean everyone else knew that. Besides, her goal was too important to let some newly hired security agent foil her plans.

As the elevator started its ascent she recognized the melody playing over the speakers. It was a slow and simple piano piece that could've easily been a child's lullaby. Charlotte's breathing came to a halt as her mind made the connection and she drifted away.

It had been ten years. Ten years since the last time she heard this tune, ten years since she last seen her father. She remembered the car rocking back and forth as it traveled across the unpaved roads of their vineyard with the occasional bump. The same music played inside the rocking limo as it finally came to a stop in front of the estate. It was here, that was the center of her world. It was here that she spent all afternoon with her parents. She knew she had only one day where her mother and father were going to be together.

She remembered having to crawl around between the many rows of fruit. She had just grown tall enough to clear the tops of them forcing her to get low enough that she wouldn't be spotted. She was lousy at the game. Her father always found her with ease. Thinking back on it she giggled the entire time almost making it too easy for him to find her.

She had insisted on playing it over and over again, always being the 'hider' and never the 'seeker'. He was a younger man back then and they both had the energy to play and play for hours. She had favorite spots that she would always go to, and he would always find her. His face would light up with joy and he would grab her and hold her up high. He would laugh with joy as he spun around and around, kissing Charlotte on the cheeks as everything else twirled around them. Then he would set his child down and she would run off again.

She remembered seeing the sun in her eyes as it started its descent below the horizon. She had known that they could only play a little longer as she eagerly waited for him. The young girl hunkered down close to the dirt and listened carefully for his footsteps, anticipating his arrival. A few quiet moments passed by as the melody of grasshoppers began to rise over the fields. Still nothing.

Charlotte cautiously stood to her feet trying her best to remain hidden, as she looked left and right for her father. The peaceful rolling fields and setting sun created an immaculate image upon the horizon. A gradient of oranges shined nearest the horizon and as they splashed upon the few clouds that remained in the sky they transformed into a brilliant pink. The shear beauty it adorned the sky with, would normally posses the power to quiet and soothe any heart with its beauty. But Charlotte was not a captive to it, too immersed in her own worries. She began to worry more and more as time went on. It was becoming darker outside and this beautiful landscape before her was disappearing with the night.

"PAPA!" She yelled as she frantically ran through the fields hoping to see her father searching for her. No response echoed her cries for help. She continued to run, stumbling through the fields and scraping by the stakes that supported each vine. Her knees were cut and bloodied, they stung but she did not care as she kept searching.

"Charlotte!" A voice called over the fields, "Charlotte!" It was her mother, her voice growing more desperate with each call. "Charlotte!"

"Maman!" She called out in equal disparity."Maman!" Running as fast she could, tracking the source of her mother's voice. Suddenly a flashlight shone upon her, blinding with intensity.

"Charlotte!" The tear filled voice cried out.

"Maman!" She yelled now sprinting to her mother.

Perhaps she would've seen the ditch if the light was not shining on her. Maybe if she had not been so afraid she would've had time to see where she was running. Either way gravity did its job and sent her down to the earth. It wasn't a large drop but large enough to fracture the shin of a young child. She heard it crack before the immense waves of pain rippled and tore up her body. Charlotte screamed in pain as she disappeared from her mother's flashlight and crashed to ground. Tears filling up in her eyes, as the loud sobs of a young girl was all that echoed throughout the night.

She had always loved the man he used to be, but those memories were exactly that, memories. Since the moment she first entered this place years ago Charlotte was no longer his daughter, she had been forcefully transformed into a biomechanical experiment in order to keep the company afloat.

All of the grueling tests and countless hours spent in the laboratory, away from the childhood that she so earnestly desired. Instead of beautiful dresses she had medical gowns. Instead of friends she had doctors and drill instructors. While others her age were outside playing she was learning to control her IS. And instead of the warmth of friendship with others, she had the cold steel of her exterior shell. But Charlotte gladly gave those things up, she set them aside just for the chance to be around her father again.

The sharp 'ding' of the elevator panel brought Charlotte back to reality. The stainless steel doors slid open revealing a much larger and open top floor of the skyscraper. This is where the top business chiefs laid out their plans and where the sum of Dunois Industry's nearly thirty thousand employees rested their lively hood upon.

People shuffled back and forth from room to room looking over memos and discussing ideas with one another. With all of the moving around and cross conversations it was hard to believe that anything was being accomplished. Phones rang without pause and indoor voices turned into shouting contests. It became very obvious to Charlotte why these top executives were always tired and short with each other. She couldn't see herself being that much different after spending eight hours in a place like this.

Unhindered by the commotion around her the blonde girl dodged, ducked, and sidestepped her way to the far side of the main floor. A few double takes from people she passed by, but most of them were too busy to investigate as to why she was there.

A single broad hallway stretched before her. The left side faced to the west with floor to ceiling windows. Charlotte imagined it would be a beautiful sight in a few hours as the sun began its descent to the earth. On the right side she could see the evolution of both her family and the empire they built. It started three generations ago with her great grandfather. He began with simple machine parts for agricultural tractors. As she continued down the hall the faces became younger and the tractors had turned into power turbines, and then aircraft, and finally arriving to the present.

Charlotte had no quarrel with the IS and her own personal Raphael Revive II. But what it represented was something she despised. It was a wall between her and a normal life with her father. And every year, every drill, every obstacle she had to overcome, there was a hope that she would be able to just talk with the only person who remained of her family.

The young blonde girl looked at the early models displayed on the wall, they were clumsy. She had a hard time imagining how to pilot something so clunky and unbalanced, but somehow her predecessors had managed it. And they had piloted it much better than her current capabilities to her frustration.

As she finally arrived at the end of the hall another receptionist awaited her behind a large cedar desk. She appeared a little less accepting than the main floor receptionist. Probably because she was not used to seeing people Charlotte's age in the chief's executive office.

"May I help you?" She asked, her words were more inquisitive than guiding.

"Oui, Can you relay a message to my papa Monsieur Dunois s'il vous plait?" Charlotte stated genuinely.

Another harsh and confused look was sent her way as the receptionist tried to figure who this little girl was. "May I have your name?" She asked sternly as she picked up her phone.

"Yes, tell him it is Charlotte, Charlotte Dunois. And tell him it is urgent." She spoke softly trying her best to keep her decorum.

Without pause the receptionist pecked her tablet a couple of times and waited patiently for an answer. Another awkward moment transpired as the two tried there best not to stare at each other directly. And finally an electronic voice crackled over the receiver.

"Madame Monique, you came in on the emergency line, is everything okay?" Another business chief must have replied. Charlotte knew her father's voice even with very little exposure to it.

"Oui, I have a young Charlotte Dunois claiming to see her papa." She made sure to state clearly for everyone in the conference room to hear.

"Is this a joke? I have known our CEO for many years and this would be the first I have heard of a Charlotte. We are in the middle of-" The voice stopped as the shuffle of feet could be heard moving around the room. "Monsieur Dunois?"

Another pause as scratches, bangs, and pops echoed over the speakers on the tablet. "Madame Monique..." Charlotte's eyes went wide as the words of her father reached her ears. "I have no daughter by that name. Please have security escort the young lady off the premises."

Charlotte felt her soul tear as her eyes began to well up, her chest suddenly became heavy. She never thought he would deny her existence so brutally, even after all this time, she had hoped in her heart. Her knees became weak and she felt as if she was about to suffer from a heart attack. Just beyond a pair of closed doors behind Monique was her father. She had come so far that she was not leaving without seeing him.

Charlotte didn't hesitate, she knew security would take her away at any second. She quickly dashed to the wall to her right and activated the fire alarm. All automatic doors slid open as water began raining down from the extinguishers above. The conference room doors opened wide as everyone poured out in a semi-panicked manner, everyone except him. The young girl rushed past all the business chiefs pushing them aside as she went. She stopped suddenly as she spotted him sitting in a chair at the head of the table.

Water continued to pour all around them as Charlotte ran to meet her father. It was as if he was immune to everything that was going on around him. As if he was able to shut out the chaos of the world and focus on what needed to happen. He sat motionless, looking at the glass window as the water cascaded down its sides creating a mesmerizing and ever changing mural, his face stoic.

Now that she was finally before her father once again, she had no idea what to do or say. Her anger had completely derailed her thoughts. After a brief moment of silence and confusion a couple of guards came rushing into the conference room.

"Sir, you need to follow us and evacuate the building, it is not safe here." One of them begged sincerely as they watched father and daughter standing next one another.

Charlotte looked at her surroundings, she could see the strobing lights and hear the blaring horn of the fire alarm. The office was completely ruined and the many ledgers and computers had been destroyed by the extinguishers. Seeing the fruit of her actions the blonde girl slowly turned back to her father.

He spoke softly, not caring that the volume of his words were barely audible over the fire alarm. "No, There is no need to evacuate." He stood to his feet waving off the security personnel. "I will remain here, please ensure everyone else is okay." The proud business man turned his attention to the young blonde girl. "I'm sure this panic has made our employees very nervous."

Charlotte quickly raised a hand in defense of her actions. She was about to explain herself before her father gently grabbed her arm. "Please...Charlotte..." His words drifted off quietly as he wrapped his arms around her.

She was completely caught off guard, this was the only second time she had ever felt his embrace. And here she had come in with her weapons drawn, but instead of a fight she was met with this. Regret washed over the French candidate making her shiver as the cold water continued to rain over them.

"But papa..." Charlotte looked up at her father as tears and water ran down her face.

"Shhh." He stroked her wet slicked hair and placed a gentle kiss upon her forehead. "My dear daughter..." He swallowed hard as the pain of seeing his child in such a state burdened his soul. "I know I am a weak man. I know I have made many mistakes in my past, but you..." He gently cupped his daughter's chin lifting it slightly. "You...you are not one of them. And I promise...I will be a better father than the husband that I was."

The water continued to rain over them but its sharp cold faded into a warm summer rain. Steam began to rise and wrap around her and the wet wool suit of her father faded away from sensation. The gentle beating of his heart began to slip away and fell in synch with her own. Her knees finally gave into her burdened soul as she collapsed upon the floor. No hand reached out to catch her as she fell. She slipped across the wet floor and came to rest hunkered down and afraid.  
>A dull thud arrested her attention and opening her eyes she saw her pendant hanging from the bathroom door.<br>"Charlotte? are you okay? It sounded like you fell in shower." A concerned but firm German voice called from behind the door.  
>"Yes, I...uh, I am okay..." Her voice shook as she tried to stand back up. "Just bad memories..." she breathed lowly, finding herself back at IS academy dormitory.<p>

* * *

><p>"Everyone sit down and SHUT UP!" Chifuyu commanded. Charlotte snapped out of her daze while all the other students quickly rushed to their seats. A nervous silence resided over the class as the shuffle of their shoes finally came to a stop. "There are going to be many changes to this academies curriculum. Over the next few weeks you will be receiving intense combat training." Murmurs waved through the students leaving many to feel uncertain about their future.<p>

"I'm happy to introduce to you another instructor that will be working very closely with many of you." Yamada stated cheerfully, trying to sway the dreadful mood Chifuyu had put them in. "I would like you all to give a very warm welcome to Maj. Lance."

He was about as average as one could be. Not very tall, not very short either. Medium build and instantly recognizable as a foreigner to this country. His gaze was firm and controlled, what would be expected from a military officer. Although he wore the standard academy dress white uniform, it was painfully obvious where this new instructor called home.

"Good morning class." His words carried the usual militaristic command that many of the cadets had become accustomed to. But his tone and speech were measurably softer than Chifuyu. He spoke to the students as near equals.

"Good morning Maj. Lance." The students replied back in a similar manner.

"I know many of you have a lot of questions about what changes are taking place and I will let you know everything I know, as soon as I am notified." The Major sighed as he looked around at the young faces, all giving him their undivided attention. "I know many of you are just now learning the basics of this new weapon platform known as the IS. I am not here to aid you in developing your skills as pilots, but I am here to instruct you in various forms of combat." Before he could continue a hand raised above the students' heads.

"Yes? Go ahead." Lance stated.

"Sir, aren't the IS only used for competition such as contests?" A small voice asked.

The Major drew in a large breath before he tackled the query. "The short answer to that question is yes, that is their primary function at this time. But as many of you will see very soon, this world is an ever changing place. And change is upon us now." Maj. Lance paused for a second as he could see the grim concern upon all of the student's faces. "Let me make this clear, no one is asking you to go and fight an offensive war. And there will never be a time for that to happen. But what is happening is a shift to national defense. IS pilots, such as yourselves, will still be contenders, but many of you will also function as defensive units within your national government."

More voices began to rise and climb within the classroom as their doubts and fears intensified. It was clear that the class was about to spiral out of control.

"How will you be helping us?" Ichika yelled as he tried to get above all the commotion. "What I mean is, what training are you going to provide for us? Are you able to pilot an IS?" The class became very hushed as they all nervously waited for the Major's reply, wondering if there was another male pilot.

"No, I cannot pilot an IS unit, but I will be training you in my expertise. I will train you to fight, to conquer, and to win." Lance admitted proudly.

"Great, another loud mouthed American to waste my time and talent." A low voice grumbled from within the student body.

The Major's eyes shot in the general direction of the voice. "Yes, that is correct. I am an American, and yes we are loud and arrogant." The Major's tone darkened slightly as he tried his best not to lash out. "We are also warmongers, like the ancient Greeks, we have been killing since our nations inception. Whether or not 'War' was declared is irrelevant. Each and every year our nation has been warring with another nation or enemy. It is what we do, it is what we are." Lance looked around addressing the entire class scanning their faces as he continued. "Let me be clear on one thing, I do not revel in warfare, no soldier does. If anything they avoid it with all their heart because they are the one to bear its scars. And if you are to protect Japan or whatever nation you call home then you will need to be the very best. And I will show you how."

It wasn't the best of receptions he had ever received but it could have been worse. Half of the class was still stuck on the thought of being a soldier while the others were dreading his arrival. Either way he was stuck with them until they were ready. It was safe to say that from day one everyone was uncomfortable with this new direction.

**Author's Note: Hey thanks again for reading my material. This is pretty much setting the tone of my story and it will center around Charlotte and the eventual outbreak of war. And yes, I belive this is a real possibility. No one person can outsmart or outplay the entire human race (Tabane Shinonono). Someone will eventual duplicate this technology or steal it. Human history has shown this over and over again (ie. nuclear weapons) that once a power has been revealed it will be duplicated, improved, and weaponized for warfare. it is just what we do. **


	2. Chapter 2

Authors Note: Hey finally got time to work on this again. I now have a concrete direction that I am taking with this story. I have a couple of other chapters written and should be out very soon. Thanks for reading and again, any input is appreciated. Hope you like it!

Why We Train

Chifuyu performed her morning work routine. Turning on the lights and opening the labs was technically the support staff's responsibilities, but she liked to get things started. Somehow she found a little piece of zen in these trivial processes. Her tea was hot and ready as she set it next to the monitors and began booting up her computer. Now the part she dreaded the most was here: Emails. They were filled with a bunch of complaints and demands which she couldn't fulfill or had the time to devote to.

"Damn it." The words drew out with a long sigh as she read the text before her. She knew it was time, but every year it seemed that these quarterly visits were coming earlier and more taxing. The seasoned instructor quickly reached for her land line phone, pressing only two commands before the phone began to connect. A couple ring tones passed by slowly as Chifuyu began to grow more impatient.

"Specialist Lance, IS Academy." The voice seemed a little rushed as if he had raced to pick up the receiver.

"We have one week." Chifuyu stated plainly with a small hint of agitation.

"Chifuyu, correct? I'm sorry. I don't follow." Lance crossed his fingers, hoping he wasn't about to embarrass himself again.

"We have one week to show that some kind of progress has been made." Chifuyu continued. "Our quarterly inspection will start in about ten days and we have to convince every government's representatives as well as private investors and manufacturers that what we are doing here is worth their time and money." An awkward pause ran between the two. "Well?"

"Okay...I'll find out today." Lance sighed almost regrettably.

* * *

><p>They all stood in formation as the early morning sun peaked above the horizon. Its light and energy raced across the eastern landscape to the practicing arena at the IS academy. The cool crisp air was still and each student took a brief moment to think and reflect before the day began. It was becoming cooler with each day and the sunlight was a welcoming warmth to the cadets. Needless to say, their uniforms held little insulation and soon, they would be allowed to wear proper winter gear.<p>

The entire class was well acclimated to the early report times, but this had been the sixth day in a row. Three-a-day drills were becoming more difficult for every cadet with each passing day. Fatigue was not hard to find upon each of their faces.

"Good morning, cadets!" Chifuyu barked as all the students turned their attention. "I trust all of you are enjoying this new drill routine and look forward to it each and every day!" A dreadful sarcasm dripped with each word as she paced back and forth. "We are going to complete this week on a special note. Today, Major Lance will be conducting combat drills with each of our contenders." She craned her neck to the left as she concluded. "Major, they're all yours."

He came dressed in full combat gear and wheeling a large military crate in tow. Upon reaching the front and center of the students, he let the container fall with a heavy thud.

Without any introduction or formalities he began. "I need a volunteer." he yelled, adjusting all of his gear around his waist and securing his helmet. Everyone stood silently, cutting their eyes left and right, hoping that someone would step forward. Another pause came as Lance slipped his gloves on. "Anyone?" he asked again with a little more agitation in his voice. Still nothing. "Alcott! Congratulations, you just volunteered."

The young British candidate swore under her breath as she stepped forward from among the students. "Sir." she replied firmly.

"I need you to activate your IS and get to the other side of the field while I speak with the other cadets." he instructed, still checking all of his equipment.

A brief moment of confusion passed by as she slowly turned and suited up. Once she was ready, the young girl blasted off in the opposite direction.

"Chifuyu, if you could please escort the students to the east side, I want them to be able to see this clearly." he asked politely.

She nodded in agreement and instructed the remaining cadets to fall in formation."Who can tell me the most important rule of combat?" Chifuyu asked sternly.

"You must know your enemy better than yourself." Rin chimed in.

"Correct. Now, what is the most valuable asset for any combatant?" she continued their lecture as they arrived at the far east side of the arena.

"Experience." Charlotte stated from within the crowd.

"Good. So, each of the contestants has about equal experience in their respective fields." Chifuyu gestured to either side of her, pointing out Lance and Alcott. "Cecilia has received considerable training and actual combat experience. On the other side, Major Lance is also a well trained solider with actual combat experience." She continued to pace left and right. "Blue Tears is a very capable weapon platform and the IS is much faster and stronger than any human. She is capable of flight while Lance is restricted to ground movement. Her arsenal is much more varied and responsive than the Major's. So let's see how this plays out."

Cecilia was growing impatient as she stood on the opposite side of the large arena. Out of boredom, she raised her rifle, using the scope to spy on the others. She spotted Chifuyu giving some kind of gesture to Lance. As she swiveled the sights left spy on him, a loud screeching sound tore through the open arena.

Alarms and missile fire tones blared into her ears as the heads-up display informed her of the incoming heat-seeker. She followed the white billowing trail of smoke rising from Lance's position. Another red warning flashed before her, indicating that the projectile had selected her as a target.

Cecilia quickly activated countermeasures, sending her own drones to intercept the missile. They each blasted off her chassis and raced skyward, firing searing hot lasers at their target. It worked like a charm. They blasted the heat-seeker out of the sky, but at too close a range. They had eliminated the threat, but the resulting explosion turned them into scrap metal.

"Damn it!" Alcott growled as she watched her drones go up in flames.

Before she could further mourn over her fallen toys, a series of bullets smashed across her shields, depleting her energy. Without hesitation, she blasted off to her right, dodging the rest of Lance's salvo. The British candidate quickly raised her rifle and returned the favor in kind, sending several beams out at the now sprinting soldier.

Lance could hear the air hiss as the super heated lasers zipped by inches away. She was a better shot than he had given her credit for. Another beam of light landed right in front of him, sending a plume of burning earth into the sky. It obscured his sight of her just long enough for him to grab two grenades from his waist and throw it in the center of the arena.

Almost immediately the small canister released a dense cloud of green smoke that made it impossible for the combatants to see one another. He knew it would only buy him a few seconds, but that was all he needed. He quickly slammed a forty millimeter high explosive round into the under slung chamber of his rifle and pulled out the pin of the second grenade he held.

"The little coward wants to play games." Alcott barked as she blasted above the smoke, hoping to get a better vantage point. She again raised her rifle and switched to thermal optics. She quickly found her target standing still and looking right at her. A diabolical smile etched across her face as she focused her sights and readied her kill shot. But before she could pull the trigger, her sights went completely white and a deafening sound blared across her ears.

The immense concussive blast of the stun grenade rendered the young IS pilot unconscious as she fell to the ground as limp as a fish. She arrived at the surface with a crash that echoed throughout the arena. All the students held their breath as they watched her fall.

Alcott's eyes finally opened as the smoke began to clear both in the arena and within her head. After a quick self check, she was up on her feet again, looking for her target. She instantly spotted him, closer and with his weapon already drawn.

"Damn it!" she swore again under her breath as she raised her own rifle.

But before she could bring her sights down on her target, another barrage of bullets smashed into her shields, forcing her to lower the rifle. Each piece of lead chipped away at her total shield capacity. She glanced at it momentarily to spot it approaching less than half.

Cecilia blasted off to her left, leaving Lance's bullets far behind her. She slammed her left knee in the ground and idled all of her booster as she came to a violent stop. Without pause, she sent her own fire down range at her opponent.

He quickly dodged, rolling clear of her shots. It was proving difficult for her to hit a much smaller target than another IS. This gave Lance the opportunity to fire a carefully placed grenade shot squarely at Alcott's feet. The explosive round sent super heated pieces of shrapnel everywhere. The blast completely knocked the IS pilot and her metallic shell through the air. Alcott again crashed to the earth with a loud thudding quake. Cecilia quickly stood up again, but more alarms and warnings flashed in her peripherals. She tried to bring her right foot forward, but she was met with enormous resistance. She tried again, but with the same amount of success. A sharp hiss pierced through her ears as her entire hydraulic system failed, leaving her only the small amount of emergency electrical power. Her heads-up display indicated zero shield capacity, her fight was over.

Cecilia yelled at her IS as it shut down, leaving her kneeling on the ground helplessly. Another sharp crack of Lance's rifle reverberated throughout the open arena as he continued to engage and fire at his opponent. The pace of his shots was much slower as he took careful aim at the British candidate.

Panic and shock gripped her as she tried to raise her heavy steel arms to defend herself, but to no avail. Another shot ripped by, ricochetting off her metal exterior and nearly dislocating her shoulder as it violently pulled her arm back.

"You better do something quick, Alcott!" Lance screamed as he slowly continued to march towards the frightened pilot, placing each bullet closer and closer to her actual body.

The young girl frantically pushed the release switch just next to her right hand. The system responded rapidly by slinging open all cables and fasteners, allowing her to fall the short distance to the ground.

Either she had chosen the wrong moment to release her harness or Lance had timed his shot too well. Regardless, a bullet ripped by her left thigh just as she started her fall from the cockpit onto the ground. Sharp spikes of pain shot up from her leg as she landed on it not a second later. Lance noticed it immediately after it traveled through her leg, liberally splashing her IS with warm red blood. Cecilia recoiled in pain as she glanced down to see that the bullet had grazed by her, leaving a three centimeter gash along the edge of her leg. She couldn't believe it. She had just been shot! All the other students shared her panicked outrage as some gasped, looking away, while others balled their fists as if they were ready to spring to her rescue.

"Stay where you are!" Chifuyu barked.

"Alcott! If you don't do something quick you are going DIE!" Lance continued to scream between each shot as he closed in on the British pilot.

Cecilia hobbled behind her now decommissioned IS, using it as cover. She quickly pulled another release cable on the back of her Blue Tears, revealing an emergency pistol. She made a quick yank and slide to unlock safety chamber of her first shot. She then drew in a small breath before turning around and sending her own barrage of lead at Lance. She was able to send one shot wildly to the far left before he returned fire, forcing her behind cover again.

Cecilia tried to calm herself again and reverted back to her training, but she found it nearly impossible to focus as she felt blood soak into her socks. More bullets pinged and banged off of her IS unit, forcing her to cower with each shot. She slammed her fist against the steel blue machine as her mind raced to come up with some way to get herself out of this situation.

"Fight, Alcott! I am going to kill you God damn it!" Lance screamed as he was now only a few steps away from her IS.

In a last ditch effort to evoke her, Lance emptied the remainder of his clip in rapid succession, sending a wild flurry of lead at her IS. Each bullet broke apart against the hardened metal frame, sending fragments in every direction. They landed all around Cecilia, some kicking up dirt as they crashed into the ground, others sliced across her body, marking her with nicks and cuts as they zipped by.

"Stop! Stop! STOP IT!" Cecilia screamed as loud as she could, trying to yell above the deafening blasts of his rifle.

In a panic, she snaked her arm around the IS unit and was about to send a couple of blind shots towards her opponent. But before she could pull the trigger, her entire arm was jerked and twisted violently, forcing her to release her grip on the pistol.

Cecilia hadn't noticed it, but by the time she had reached her breaking point, Lance had closed in on her. He quickly grabbed her arm before she could unknowingly shoot him, pulling her from behind the IS and pinning her to the ground. Intense shots of pain raced up and down her arm as Lance held it torqued behind her back.

"How's that leg, Alcott?" Lance asked as he released his grip on her arm.

The young pilot slumped to the ground, having trouble deciding which limb to hold onto, her nearly broken arm or her shot leg. She continued to breathe heavily as tears of pain ran down her face. She wanted to kill him for the pain and humiliation he forced her through. But those thoughts were quickly derailed as another sharp sting wrecked her body. She yelled as Lance slapped a congealing agent on her wound.

"You'll live, Cadet," he stated confidently, "You did alright today."

He carefully slung her arm around his shoulder and slowly stood the British pilot to her feet. The entire class quickly gathered around them trying to see if Cecilia was okay. The two combatants cautiously stood up straight as best as they could and looked at each of the eyes staring back at them.

"I want you all to learn from this." Lance stated as he continued to support Cecilia. "Your opponent, in whatever form they come in, will not stop. In combat, you must choose whether to live or die because your enemy has already made their choice." Cecilia kept her eyes to the ground, hoping this charade would end. "Now, Alcott has done a fantastic job of demonstrating what real combat is like. She did well out here today and she deserves your respect."

A couple of paramedics rushed over, taking Lance's spot as they helped Cecilia out of the arena. As a precaution, they gently placed her on a stretcher and wheeled her over to the infirmary.

Low chatter and voices began to rise within the class. Everyone was hoping they would not be next.

"Students! Back in formation, now! We are going to conduct a full cycle drill and then, I will see you in exactly six hours for your afternoon practicals!"

Without hesitation they all began to run to the far side of the arena as part of their warm up routine.

"A word, major." Chifuyu growled as the last of the stragglers cleared ear shot of her voice.

He knew this conversation was coming and he had prepared as best as he could for it. "It was necessary to gauge combat readiness-"

"Enough!" Chifuyu quickly snapped before he could rattle off his inadequate excuse. "I was naive enough to believe that you conduct a live exercise like this without turning it into a God damn catastrophe that sent one of our best cadets to the infirmary!"

Lance thought about defending his actions but quickly bit his tongue. He simply stood gritting his teeth as Chifuyu continued to rage.

"Tell me major, how are we supposed to demonstrate our cadet's capabilities during our evaluation if they are all incapacitated?" Chifiuyu barked as she paced back and forth. "Well?" she glared at him searching his face for any inflections.

"They are ready." Lance finally stated. "I can not expect any of these cadets to be battle ready." The major craned his neck right to face his fuming supervisor. "They are performing excellently for their age and experience. To be blunt, I would not expect anyone in this academy, student or instructor to react differently."

Chifuyu's head snapped in his direction as her glaring eyes met his own."You better explain yourself major."

"Killing. It is why I am here." The major stated firmly as he gave his reasons. "Have you ever killed?" A brief silence lingered as both stared at each other. "It would take a killer to react appropriately to the situation I put Alcott through. She would have to be ready to take life and spill blood, and that is why I say they are ready."

The major quickly secures all of his gear and safeties all of his weapons. "No one can truly be ready for this until they have killed. Count yourselves fortunate, it is not a skill that should be desired."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Trust me, I know many of you think that this is just another lame OC that I have put into the plot that will distract and detract from the overall story, but I promise you It will only serve to make the story much better. Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoy this piece**.

Visiting Hours

The remainder of morning classes slowed to a crawl as Charlotte paid little attention to the never ending lectures at the front of the class. All she could think about was Cecilia. She was livid that Lance thought it was necessary to display such violence. To put her through such a thing was cruel and completely fruitless.

A quick and deliberate tap on the desk next to her arrested her attention. Laura nearly broke her pen as she finally got Charlotte to look her way. And to the young French candidate's surprise, it was actually not so difficult to read Laura's eyes as she clearly motioned her to look forward. Charlotte loved her as a friend, but sometimes Laura's overly strict discipline began to wear upon her. It was a constant ballad of their polar opposite personalities, and Charlotte only hoped that she could help her friend enjoy life more.

Charlotte gave what little attention she could muster to Yamada, but before she could stop herself, her eyes went straight back to the clock. It slowly rotated to 11:42 a.m. and in a couple of moments, she would be granted a temporary freedom. She quickly racked her mind for the fastest route from the classroom to the infirmary, and by the time she was sure of where to go, their break had already begun.

"Laura, I'm going to check on Cecilia, would you like to accompany me?" she asked politely.

"Of course, but I'm sure she's fine." Laura stated firmly. "Ichika! Bring Houki as well, and I will try to grab Rin." Laura ordered as she headed for the door.

"Uh, Okay...I guess we'll all go together."

They finally gathered just outside the rear entrance to the dorms and decided to cut through the outdoor track. It was a faster route, but some of the senior cadets were conducting their training at the time, making them circumvent the majority of their short cut to the infirmary.

"Lance better pray that Cecilia recovers quickly. I still can't believe he thought what he did was tolerable!" Rin vented, obviously still hot with emotions.

"Some lessons are better learned in blood. It is good to learn among friends than with an enemy that would show no mercy." Laura countered. Her training and sacrifice was not much different than Lance's approach to training.

Laura's trial to become a member of the Schwarzer Hase was unforgiving to say the least. She had to sacrifice part of her sight and part of her humanity to join their ranks. But in the end, she surpassed her commander's expectations and still retained her personality, bearing no emotional scars.

"I'm still not convinced that that was the best option." Ichika stated plainly. "I mean...I know that it's an effective method, but...there has to be a less painful way to go about it." Ichika struggled to explain himself.

"I agree, but we are contenders. There's always a risk of something like this happening and I just hope we will be ready for it." Houki finally chimed in.

"What do you think, Charlotte?" Ichika asked as he turned to see his friend, who walking quietly behind the rest of them.

"Huh?" Charlotte quickly snapped back to reality. "I just hope that Cecilia is alright."

"I do too." Ichika stated lowly. The rest simply nodded in agreement.

The infirmary was about what anyone would expect; white walls and floors, very similar to any hospital. A stationed guard and receptionist met the group just inside.

"Visiting?" the receptionist asked with a smile.

"Yes, we were wondering if we could see Cadet Cecelia Alcott." Rin stepped in front, eager to see her friend.

She quickly typed away at her keyboard, searching through her patient logs. "Alcott C..." Her eyes swept left and right as she continued to mine through her information. "Alright, she is approved for visitation. I just need to see everyone's ID please."

They all fished out their IS academy IDs and surrendered them without hesitation.

"Room twelve, B wing." She handed papers over to the guard, who quickly ushered the group to follow.

It was a short walk around a couple of doors and corners to the B wing and then finally to room twelve.

"Only two at time please." the guard whispered as he slowly opened the door.

Rin didn't hesitate to be first and Charlotte stepped forward as Ichika gently ushered her to go ahead as well.

The young French girl nearly froze when she saw Cecilia lying on the bed before her. It was exactly the same as before. A small tear fell earthward as she remembered this same sight many years ago.

* * *

><p>Pierre tilted his rear view mirror ever so slightly to check on his anxious passenger. She sat, hands resting on her lap with fingers tapping and eyes gazing outside, not really focusing on any one thing as they continued to zig and zag their way through the busy city streets. He knew her story all too well. He was one of the few who were trusted with this little girl's secret. It was determined that too many concerns would have been raised if Pierre were to chauffeur her between school and one of Dunois' many estates throughout France every day. Nothing more than an extra monthly bonus couldn't fix to keep his discretion.<p>

Pierre noticed Charlotte's face begin to glow as he pulled the car through the round-about that lay only a couple of blocks from their destination.

She knew every bend and bumped along their route. She could hardly contain herself as she counted down the seconds until that last pot hole just in front of the main reception of North General Hospital.

Pierre smiled wide as he quickly put the limo in park and rushed around the jet black vehicle. He humbly opened the door, clearing his throat and standing firmly behind the door to ensure that no stray breeze would make it close shut on Charlotte as she climbed out.

"Thank you very much, Pierre." Charlotte smiled as she continued inside without pause.

"It's no trouble at all, my lady. As always, I will be waiting for your return." he replied warmly as he again secured the door and rushed around to move the stretch.

The automatic glass doors slid open with a familiar swish as Charlotte rushed in. She enjoyed every familiar sound and sight, knowing that she would see her very soon.

The staff was becoming more and more familiar with Charlotte with every passing day. Many would offer her something to eat during her longer stays over the weekend. At first, she would kindly decline, feeling terrible for taking their meals from them and knowing they worked tirelessly every day for her mother. But as days turned into weeks, she couldn't help but give into their charity.

"Good afternoon, Charlotte." the young receptionist stated, swallowing hard.

Something was off, Charlotte was accustomed to her smile and voice, but something was out of place. It was as if she spoke with an uneasy hesitance, almost forcing herself to be cheerful.

Charlotte reacted in kind without knowing. Her eyebrows perked up in morbid curiosity as her jaw dropped ever so slightly, revealing her teeth.

It was a face that many who worked in the hospital had unfortunately grown familiar with. It was as if she had stolen this child's very spirit, robbing her of any joy or hope. Eyes became dim and heavy burdened, and a small quiver began at the tip of their chin. And they stood as if the slightest breeze could tear them down as their fragility peaked.

Everyone tried their best to respond appropriately to this look, but to see a child on the verge of such sadness and tears can only evoke a response that was equal in fear.

The receptionist quickly covered her mouth as her eyes welled up, cursing herself for inadvertently causing this child so much pain. She quickly stood to her feet, hurrying to the young blonde girl, holding her tightly.

"I'm so sorry, Charlotte." she whispered softly over and over again into her ears. The young girl recoiled from her words, leaning back to see the receptionist face.

"Where is my mother!?" Charlotte demanded from the weeping woman.

"Please, come with me." The woman quickly tried to compose herself as she guided the child to a different wing of the hospital.

They began an uneasy walk down the long bright corridor of the hospital. With each step, she looked left and right for her mother, hoping to see her in one of the rooms. This part of the hospital had larger windows and more glass walls, allowing warmth and natural light within its halls. The staff worked quietly and they all seemed to walk around with brighter smiles, almost trying to usher in more joy with their high spirits.

It worked for a moment. Charlotte began to think that maybe this was the turning point. Perhaps her mother would be getting better and this was the place where they had succeeded with healing their patients. Maybe it was because the people here were ready to leave that this place was so bright.

But before her thoughts could branch out any further, she was led into a bright room with a beautiful view of a park. Gentle rolling hills edged the horizon miles away as the sun brightly illuminated their grass covered backs. Rays of light beamed in from the windows that stood from the ground to the ceiling, bouncing off the many white surfaces within the room. A low breeze rolled in from a small opening in the glass wall, carrying with it all the sounds and smells from the beautiful park below. It all had a surreal effect of placing one outside of these walls and into the canvas of nature before her. But her focus was violently derailed as an unfamiliar voice ripped her attention away from the serenity before her.

An older man stood before her. The hair on his head was as white as the coat on his back. He spoke with a deliberate pace that was supposed to assure Charlotte's understanding, but she only replied with a puzzled look. It wasn't that she didn't understand what he was saying. It was the disbelief that this was actually happening.

Terminal. The word is just as damning as any death sentence issued to a convicted felon. It carried an incredible burden with it. And that burden crashed upon Charlotte like a wrecking ball. It tore her down in one swing, scattering the pieces in a chaotic cloud.

An emergency procedure was conducted in order to slow her condition, but this only amounted to a band aid, temporary stability at best.

The old man gently placed a semi-comforting hand upon her shoulder as he gently pulled back a curtain before her.

Her throat instantly became dry and barren as all the moisture rushed up to her eyes. They began to well up and pour over upon her face, trickling down the sides of her nose. It felt as if someone had come by and violently ripped out her soul. Tearing and shearing the rest of her apart as they clawed away at the young girl.

"Mama." The words quivered and slowly fell off Charlotte's chin as she looked at the weak frame resting on the bed.

No response came from her, but the young girl focused intently upon her, watching her chest slowly rise and fall alongside the steady beating heart monitor.

"She will be unconscious for the next few hours Charlotte. She needs complete rest and recovery, but you may stay by her side for a while." The old man's words fell on deaf ears as Charlotte continued to stand, shaking and frozen.

It had become one of those days. One of those days where time grinds against the very fibers of our being. A day where promises that cannot be upheld are forged. Swearing to avenge, or vowing to never again, or taking an oath to do so every day for the rest of their lives. These grand gestures were simply that, they were only gestures and no action.

Many will swear to change, or to make a difference, but they were quickly stifled after a short week of little or no success. It was an emotional pledge, and that was all. No conviction beyond what was convenient at the time.

It was here that Charlotte promised herself to never leave her mother's side, that she would be there for her no matter what. She swore to herself that she would not rest until she recovered.

* * *

><p>The digital clock on Lance's desk read 8:34 p.m. It was way too late to still be on the clock. He spent the last few hours studying every aspect of each of the contenders personal IS unit. He studied their strengths, their weaknesses and how he could turn those weaknesses into his strengths. He studied the arena, the academy, its layout and dimensions in the same meticulous manner. He knew when and where the flow of students was congested and when the many halls and rooms would be open and clear.<p>

Security patrols were not a problem since he conducted many of them himself. He was given mostly unrestricted access to the armaments that each IS unit required as well as the small but effective armory within the academy. He had to know their capabilities and what exactly he would be up against for their next day of training. He knew all of the personnel including maintenance, engineering, custodial, faculty, and students. But more important than those people who were stationed here, he had thorough knowledge of all of the guests that were to attend the evaluation. He became an expert on each individual and the government or company they represented, spending countless hours studying their faces and behaviors.

This is what was necessary, the same level of discipline he tried to instill in these cadets for as briefly as he knew them.

He gave another glance back towards his desk to check the time. Just then, the phone rang.

"Hello?" he stated plainly.

A few seconds slowly drew out as silence ran between the lines. Normally this would alert anyone else, but due to recent events, some of the cadets had reason to prank call him at this late of hour.

Without much thought and even less care, he disconnected the call and reached into one of the drawers of his desk. He fashioned a small and odd looking electronic device that he quickly plugged into his academy issued phone.

A couple of beeps chirped from the tiny cellular phone and finally, a green light shined on the top of the device. With a few quick commands on the touch screen and a brief pause, the phone sent out a call.

"Hey, sis, I can't make it..." Lance paused looking left and right. "No, no, I can't be there, but I'm sure all of my friends will stop by to congratulate you...Yes, I miss you too, say goodnight to the girls for me."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Okay, this chapter and the next one are going to kick start the story. I moved it over to Mature for violence and language. For those of you who absolutely hate my OC, here is the reason why I had to include him. Oh and Page Breaks represent a change in prospective during this chapter.**

Setting up The Pieces

Before today no one at the IS academy had ever seen this woman. No faculty or administrators had ever interviewed her and no students had ever spoken to her.

She had all the right credentials, ID matched, and no security searches brought up any discrepancies. And with a quick glance the security guard waved the red head through into the rail station. Scrutiny had been upped at the academy due to their international visitors. It was by no means a public event, but none the less, these representatives had powerful stations within their government. And as such their safety was of utmost importance.

"Papers please." Another guard asked politely as she tried to enter the many cabs awaiting their departure on the sky rail.

"Sure, here you are." She replied, surrendering her ID.

"April Sherret...maintenance personnel." The guard mumbled as he thumbed through her forms.

Satisfied, he quickly returned the papers and ushered the next in line to come up for inspection. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she exhaled slowly, finding a seat near the front of the tram. A few others were aboard, a couple of press agents with cameras and microphone gear, and other faculty members, probably ground keepers. They all sat silently, except for the press crew who were plotting their lines of questioning for some of the interviews they were to conduct.

The red head rhythmically tapped her fingers against her thigh as she watched the seconds zip by on her wrist watch. And just before the clock read 10:30 a.m. the sky rail rocked forward as it began towards the IS academy.

The view was something else. The calm waters surrounding the academy allowed many of the barges easy access to their respective harbors. They all seemed to scoot slowly along as the train zipped by them hundreds of feet in the air. More impressive was watching them pass by directly underneath, thanks to the thick glassed floors of the cabs.

A few more curves and a small descent eventually led the train to the main terminal at the academy. And with the same jolt, the cab contacted the stoppers and brought the vessel to a halt. Another glance at her watch read only four minutes and twenty-eight seconds later. That was her window.

They all shuffled out looking left and right for the press room, all except for the red head, she hooked a left turn and headed directly to the tram gate.

The maintenance door proved to be nothing more than an electronic lock that easily swung open with her ID card. But traversing the tight crawl spaces and climbing up to the access rail was another feat entirely. With a little wriggling and some careful foot placement she was able to reach the catwalk that ran just above the sky rail. This treacherous path was more her speed.

The side rails only stood up to her waist making it easy to fall off either side, plunging hundreds of feet to the bay water. The winds whipped and howled wildly at this height. They twisted around the structure of the railway violently swaying her left and right as she made her way back to the mainland. And to top it off, no safety cables to anchor her.

None of this even registered to this reckless woman. She gleefully ran along making precise corrections with every step, leaning left and right into the harsh winds that attempted to push her off the sides. Each step clanging against the metal frame work of the catwalk as she neared her destination.

It would have been easy to miss if she hadn't meticulously studied every section and working piece of the sky rail. It was a small, flat, grey cover that protruded ever so slightly from the main rail.

The woman quickly fashioned a small circuit and a small ring of keys as she leaped over the side, dangling over the edge by one arm.

It was easier to reach from this position, but one mistake and losing her grip would be the end of her. She opened the junction box with ease and rewired the circuit into the electric panel. And within seconds she was standing back atop the catwalk, sprinting back towards the academy.

* * *

><p>Lance looked out his office window viewing the beautiful green landscape before him. It was peaceful. Thoughts of regret scrapped across his mind as he watched the last two guards make there way around the east wing. He knew it was already too late, too late to stop what he had set in motion. But before he could dwell any further about it a single tone from his phone altered him. Two words flashed across the front display, NO EXIT.<p>

That was his cue. Lance quickly made for the door moving calmly and deliberately. He headed towards the main stairwell being careful not to look directly at anyone. He couldn't afford to be stopped by anyone for a small chat or any questions. A sharp right turn and a small hustle down the stairs brought him to the main foyer, leaving the double door entrance right before him.

He pushed the doors open and followed the same route the two guards had taken. Another glance at his watch revealed that he had six minutes.

As he looked up he spotted the red head leaving the sky rail, following at a distance. He quickly redirected his attention to the security office trying not to raise any suspicions. The familiar sequence of beeps followed his finger as he punched in the access code.

"Good morning sir, how can I help you?" A guard greeted him behind blast proof glass.

"Good morning to you too." Lance replied in kind as he began filling out a request form. "I just need to grab my gear and I'll be on my way." He slid the request form along with his ID card underneath the glass, and again checked the time.

"Alright, come on in." The guard gestured to a door just to the left that snapped sharply as it unlocked.

Lance stepped in and headed to a door labeled ARMORY just behind the guard. Inside he glanced at the racks of weapons and ammunition at his sides. Only two weapons were missing. The guards hadn't checked them back in yet. This was a problem.

He couldn't let that small hitch derail everything though. He quickly grabbed a third rifle tossing it behind a trash barrel on the far side of the armory. Another glance at his watch, he was running behind schedule.

"Sergeant. How many weapons have you checked out today?" Lance asked over the intercom from inside the armory. It was necessary to lock each individual inside the armory as they entered for obvious security reasons. So, the only method to communicate was by a comms panel.

The sergeant eyes went wide in disbelief, this sort of slip up could ruin his job. "Shit, only two sir. The morning patrol are the only releases I have."

And just as the sergeant was about to lose it, the two guards walked in from their patrol.

"You two! Inside now!" The sergeant barked as the two guards looked at him and then each other.

"Weapons! Close them and disarm!" The two did as ordered by their angry superior and stood at attention. "You! Stay here." The sergeant pointed as he grabbed the other guard and headed inside the armory.

Lance stood next to the rack, waiting on the two to make their way to him. "Right here sergeant. I got three empty weapon slots."

"Ah Christ!" he yelled as he clearly saw the empty slot. "You are dead! You hear me! this isn't a God damn shopping center, you can't just take what you please!" The sergeant turned and continued to yell at the guard.

"Okay, clam down sergeant. Do we know who has the weapon?" Lance asked trying to diffuse the situation.

"Probably one of-"

The bullet ripped into the back of the sergeant's neck completely severing his vertebrae. It was a quick death but the spinal column did little to stop the bullet from exploded out of the front of his throat liberating splashing blood upon Lance's face.

"What the hell do you think you are doing!?" Lance yelled as he wiped the blood from his face.

"He was about to figure it out." The guard defended.

"This is supposed to be a low and clean operation. Kill only the fucking targets! You understand!"

The guard nodded reluctantly and grabbed more ammunition from the stock pile.

"Hess, are we clear?"

"Cameras are offline and all locks are on standby. One click and they are all open." Hess confirmed as he keyed away at the monitors. "What the hell is going on in there? I could hear a shot from here." Hess questioned as he continued to bring the academy's systems down from the station the sergeant had previously occupied.

Lance again glared at his stupid subordinate. "Nothing, let us out."

They all three synch'ed their watches and did a final check of all weapons. They cracked their knuckles and drew in one last mental psych before Lance breathed out one cumbersome exhale.

"Three minutes, then start working your way up the east side." He again glared at his trigger happy guard. "Don't fucking kill the staff or students, the last thing we want is this to be some kiddy school shooting." He closed the door behind him leaving the two guards. He pulled out his phone and began to punch in a message "No eyes, No doors, two minutes."

Lance's throat began to tighten forcing him to lean against a wall. His head began swim. He placed his hand on the door leading to the main foyer of the academy. "damn 'em all." He spoke as a muffled explosion rocked the entire building.

* * *

><p>Ichika's mind was elsewhere, which was often the case when it came to class immediately before lunch. It was difficult to keep focused much less awake for that hour. But after several attempts to retain what little attention he could he muster, the boy gave up.<p>

The crack of a pencil being broken in two snapped his neck to the left to spot Houki looking about ready to do a similar number to him. He never fully understood why someone could be so upset over small things like that. It couldn't be healthy to have your blood up like that all the time.

But in an instant the glare of death upon her face vanished as her eyebrows perked up in response to the loud click.

Everyone in the room looked over to see the electronic lock on the class room door glow green and swing open. Miss Yamada tried unsuccessfully to close it with her remote but no response came from the door.

"Stay in your seats." Miss Yamada commanded as she stood up to get a closer inspection.

Everything seemed in order, but the door would not shut, almost as if it was in evacuation mode. She poked her head out into the hallway looking left and right to see if anyone was around to help.

Suddenly every door in the hallway clicked open and unlocked, cascading from her right to left, like a train pulling each cab with a snap as it started to pull out of station.

All the cadets stood up, alarmed by the loud cracks that traveled like a wave from one side of the building to the other.

"What was that? What is going on?" Charlotte rushed over towards Miss Yamada.

"I don't know. Please return to your seat." Yamada instructed as she continued to look left and right seeing the other teachers popping their heads out into the hallway as well.

* * *

><p>She looked at her watch, 10:49 a.m. "The hell with it, I'm tired of waiting." Autumn mumbled to herself.<p>

She quickly discarded her maintenance jumpsuit and deployed her IS unit. A low tone reverberated within her helmet freeing her to fire a rocket at the western entrance of the academy. The shot exploded just above the main doors forcing it to collapse on itself, sealing the exit.

* * *

><p>Everyone in the classroom rushed to the windows to see what caused the explosion. Only a plume of black smoke was visible just on the far side of their building. They all pushed and shoved each other to get a glimpse of what was going on, but then they all stopped and became quiet as the room went dark.<p>

"Let's get out of here!" Someone within in the crowd screamed.

"Students!" Yamada barked trying to maintain order. "We will execute our evacuation plans in a CIVIL order! Everyone leave all your belongings and follow me!"

The class did as instructed and all filed out in an orderly fashion as they had drilled for many times before. Hushed panic echoed throughout the entire hallway as each classroom emptied. They were all headed to the nearest exit, the east wing.

Everyone walked with a hustled step hoping to get out of the dark hallways that were dimly lit with emergency lights.

"Guards! What is happening?" Yamada yelled as two security personnel walked in from the exit doors only fifty feet away.

No response from either one.

Yamada's jaw dropped and she started to frantically back peddle as both guards drew their rifles and began to open fire.

The bullets zipped through the air leaving sound far behind them as they raced down the hall. They flew high and drilled through the air crashing into ceiling just above the students. Glass and debris fell upon them sending everyone into a frenzied stampede back to the central exit.

Within seconds Laura had already deployed her IS unit and was taking a majority of the bullets. They pinged and ricocheted off her steel shell sending fragments all around her. Laura smiled wickedly as she locked her cannons onto the guards who had stopped to reload.

"Hold your fire!" Yamada screamed from behind Laura's IS unit. "Those will take down the the entire building!"

Laura growled lowly knowing Yamada was correct. She dispatched her IS unit as she couldn't fight them here in these tight spaces and with students still trying to escape.

"Laura!" Charlotte screamed as she leaped in front of the german, digging her shield into ground just as another salvo of shots smashed against her orange shield.

Charlotte was completely eclipsed by her kite shield as she had only deployed her left arm. Although removed from the danger of their lethality, each bullet slammed into the barrier jarring her entire frame.

"Get behind me!" Charlotte yelled, continuing to absorb each shot.

Ichika quickly shoved Laura and Houki back behind Charlotte as a bullet ripped by grazing his shoulder blade. The shot tore through his uniform creating a shearing sound that made both of the girls gasp.

The three stood there panting for only a second before more bullets ripped across the hallway from the other direction.

Chifuyu sprinted down the hall pushing the other cadets aside and into cover as she tried to get a clean shot on the guards at the far end of the hall.

"Stay down!" Chifuyu screamed as she squeezed her sidearm sending two carefully placed rounds towards the shooters. The two immediately dove into the adjacent classroom not expecting retaliating fire.

"Instructor!?" Laura exclaimed as Chifuyu also took cover in line with Charlotte.

"What the hell is going on!" Yamada screamed as she tried to talk over the gunfire that had resumed.

"We are under attack, what the fuck does it look like!" Chifuyu yelled back. "We have bigger problems than this, two IS units are at the south plaza firing at any and everything!"

"Who would attack the academy?" Yamada again yelled over the gunfire.

"You know who!" Chifuyu shot back as she grabbed Ichika's shoulder. "You've been hit!"

"I know, it stings but that's not going to stop me!" Ichika returned back quickly, ensuring his big sister.

"You and Houki follow me. We are going to link up with Rin. She is already out there doing whatever she can to slow them down."

"I can help you instructor! I can fight!" Laura yelled in protest.

"You are." Chifuyu smiled diabolically as she handed her weapon and ammo to the angered german. "Take 'em out."

"Yes Ma'm!" Laura shouted as she turned back to Charlotte. "We need to take these two bastard's down!"

"Sooner would be better, my arm is killing me!" Charlotte shouted.

Laura leaned over her shoulder to see Charlotte's arm cut, bruised, and battered from the intense impacts of each bullet. Blocking bullets was no problem, but without the rest of her IS unit to brace against was something else. It was as if she was leaning against a jack hammer.

"Chifuyu! When we move make your way back to the plaza!" Laura continued to shout above the muzzle fire. She turned again to her friend placing a firm hand on her shoulder. "Okay...move left!"  
>In unison, the french and the german stepped forward and left. Laura snaked her chest closely around Charlotte's hip barely peeking around her shield and opened fire.<p>

"Good luck!" Ichika screamed as he and the rest ran back towards the main hall making their escape under Laura's fire.

* * *

><p>The conference room sat on the sixth floor of the central admin building. It was lined with glass walls giving a unique panoramic view of the entire campus. It was a fan favorite of all who were visiting the facility either as prospective candidates or like today, investors and diplomats. The high ceilings and open space allowed people to clear their minds, or at times play as a much needed distraction during longer meetings.<p>

Two large cedar tables ran parallel to each other for the entire length of the room allowing a meeting of forty plus to occupy their leather seats comfortably.

Everyone stood to their feet as the tables and lights rattled from the shock of the blast.

"What is going on?" A Chinese representative asked.

"I see smoke." Someone within the board shouted pointing out the west side of the building.

"Councilman Zhang!" A muffled voice came from behind the shut door of the conference room.  
>The Chinese ambassador stood to his feet as a fearful look cascaded down his face. "What is happening Jie?" He shot back through the shut door.<p>

"Please open the door sir, we need to evacuate now!"

Without hesitation an IS guard within in the room approached the door and swiped her ID. Nothing, the lock panel remained red, holding shut.

* * *

><p>Lance controlled his breathing as he ran from the security office to the administration building. As he crossed the training grounds students and instructors all gathered around looking at the smoke climbing up the sky only a few hundred meters away, all in shock and disbelief.<p>

"This is not a drill, evacuate the cadets now!" Lance ordered as he continued to cross the campus.  
>The crowd hesitated for a moment but gradually started their way to the north end of campus to the sky rail.<p>

"Shit!" Lance growled as he checked his wrist watch. He had maybe less than one minute. He slung his rifle into his hands and began a full sprint. His mind began to race through all the scenarios if he failed, it was not going to be a bright future for him. But he had already determined long ago that he would not be incarcerated, if it came to it, he wouldn't be taken alive.

Those distractions were shoved aside as he burst through the main doors. a few stray cadets cowered underneath the main stairs leading up to the executive floors. Lance regretted not ushering the girls out and into safety, but he had no choice.

The numbers on the face of each wall counted up as he continued to sprint up the stairs at full speed.

Lance stopped sharply as he calmly open the door that read six. His steps were slow and quiet as he tried desperately to lower and slow his breathing.

He could hear voices growing louder and more desperate just around the corner at the end of the hall. He slowly approached, listening in.

* * *

><p>The security detail was unsuccessfully trying to gain entrance to the conference room. They had resorted to brute force and that was not fairing much better.<p>

"Everyone! stand to the sides, against the walls!" A voice commanded from the other side of the door.

They all did as instructed covering their eyes and ears as a series of shots rang out. The first shots ripped through the door, harmlessly burying themselves into the cedar tables. Then a second series of shots rang out.

Everyone paused and looked at the door and then at each other wondering if was safe to approach. They all waited for what seemed like and eternity hoping someone would finally break through and rescue them.

Councilman Zhang slowly stepped closer to the door, disregarding his subordinates pleas to remain at the edge of the room."Jie!?" The Chinese councilman called out, no reply.

The doors swung open revealing a nightmarish scene only reserved for the sick and macabre minded. The five security guards lie dead on the ground, their blood beginning to pool around them. Several rounds marked each victim, one agent was very unlucky. A bullet had ripped through her voice box exposing the inner workings of her esophagus to the rattled and terrified executives.  
>She choked and gargled as blood began to pour out of the gaping hole that now occupied her throat.<p>

They all stood frozen in a state of true fear, too afraid to scream, too scared to move, too shaken to breathe. No one could decide whether to run or stay, they all just remained silent watching this woman slip away.

All that dreadful fear was derailed as the metallic clang of Lance's rifle slammed forward. It would have been easy to mistake him for a savior rather than a killer. But his IS uniform remained dotted with blood giving his true intentions away.

An aged man with salt and pepper hair weaved his way to the front of the crowd. He placed his hand on the passing shoulders of those still too scared to move. His gate was not weak or trembling with fear, it was controlled and almost a proud step that he walked with. He had all the wearings of the rich and powerful. His tailored suit and his silk tie were easily worth more than an average person's salary. But his act was contrary to what could have been expected of a person in such position. He did not offer money for his life nor beg and grovel for mercy. He simply put himself in the gap between the others.

Lance was surprised by his courage. He lowered his rifle slightly as he remained focused on the old man's eyes.

"Why do this?" The old man asked calmly gesturing over to the blood shed.

"We are the victims of our own hands and I cannot allow this to continue." Lance growled back as he again raised his weapon.

"What is your name?" The proud business man asked. No response. "My name is Marcel." The old man placed his hand over his chest as he tried to introduce himself. "Marcel Dunois."


End file.
